Friday, November 19, 2010

You Deserve a Rest Today

Rest, Relaxation, Chillin’, Sabbath. Whatever you want to call it, rest comes easily for some, but for others it’s hard to rest. Seriously. We have a generation of super busy people, many with a “taskmaster” mentality.

It’s time to stop the insanity and reclaim our right to rest.

Mark Buchanan wrote a fantastic book on this very topic. It’s called “The Rest of God.” In it, he talks about people who don’t really understand the whole rest concept—especially the Big Why—why it’s okay to rest.

He says, “The lie the taskmasters want you to swallow is that you cannot rest until your work’s all done, and done better than you’re currently doing it. But the truth is, the work’s never done, and never done quite right. It’s always more than you can finish and less than you had hoped for.”

Then he gives us the true scoop?

“The rest of God…is not a reward for finishing. It’s not a bonus for work well done,” says Buchanan. “It’s a sheer gift.”

A gift? Huh. That means if someone gives us a gift, we need to receive it and put it to use. We need to know more.

“(Rest) is a stop-work order in the midst of work that’s never complete, never polished,” Buchanan continues. “Sabbath is not the break we’re allotted at the tail end of completing all our tasks and chores, the fulfillment of all our obligations. It’s the rest we take smack-dab in the middle of them, without apology, without guilt, and for no better reason than God told us we could.”

Bingo!

God told us we could rest. Well, who am I to argue with the Highest Authority in the entire universe? I can rest. You can rest.

It’s Friday, ponder that while you unwind this weekend and remember who you are.

Jackie M. Johnson is an author and freelance writer in Colorado. Her hope-filled and encouraging books include "Power Prayers for Women,"
"When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton Is Empty" and "Powerful Prayers for Challenging Times." Jackie also writes the Living Single blog on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk website.

2 comments:

You know, some people need so much more rest than others. I don't have to be sitting on the couch or napping to have rest. I think not being at work is rest. Petting an animal is rest. Talking to a friend on the phone, etc.People out there, how do you rest?

Jackie, you deserve a well done for your "A New Day Cafe". You also deserve a "REST" by order of our Lord and Savior. He has blessed you with great talent. Your comments are always timely, interesting, and really hit home.Keep up the good work.Love ya,The "Dad"RJJ

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Jackie M. Johnson is an author and freelance writer in Colorado. Her hope-filled and encouraging books include "Power Prayers for Women,"
"When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton Is Empty" and "Powerful Prayers for Challenging Times." Jackie also writes the Living Single blog on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk website.